Could it Be that You're Perfect for Me?
by DavidArchuletaLove15
Summary: Miley Stewart is 22 now. She returns from college to do a comeback tour as Hannah Montana. Her band-mate and former crush is back in her life, but he has a girlfriend now. Can Miley and Jesse be just friends, or are they something more? Miley/Jesse.
1. Introduction

**New story...! I had this idea and I couldn't leave it alone until I at least tried it...

* * *

**"Jesse."

The way she spoke his name was just so sweet. He loved the way she smiled slightly when she said his name.

"Jesse?"

Her medium length blonde hair was pulled back into a ponytail today. She was wearing the cutest skirt and-

"Jesse!"

He shook his head and immediately came back to focus. He had been off in his own world for so long that he hadn't realized that she was actually speaking to him.

"Oh! Sorry, Hannah!" he said, clearing his throat quickly. "I was...uh...brainstorming some ideas?" he added, while managing a fake smile.

Hannah smiled shortly. "Great! I'd love to hear them!"

The smile fell off of his face. "Um. I..."

Hannah stared at Jesse in confusion. "Don't be shy! You never were the one to be shy, so why start now?"

"Yeah...um..." Jesse paused, glancing around the room.

Some music executives and the rest of Hannah Montana's band was sitting around the table staring at him. Also at the table were Hannah's dad and her two best friends, Lola and Mike.

Hannah was 22 now. She had taken a break when she was 18, so that she could attend college. Of course, she had gone to college as Miley- not Hannah. This way, nobody knew who she was. Hannah revealed her true identity to Jesse shortly before she left for school in New York. Jesse was wondering where Hannah would be going after she announced her "break from music." So, Miley had to tell him the truth. Now, four years later, Hannah was planning her comeback album and comeback tour.

Of course, a lot of the other people in the room didn't know the Miley/Hannah connection, so Jesse, Robby Ray, Lola, and Mike had to keep quiet about it at the moment. They were currently in a meeting to plan Hannah's new tour.

"Hannah...I...forgot."

"Oh? Okay..." Hannah, clearly confused again.

Lola and Mike exchanged a glance. Jesse stared down at his shoes.

"So, anyway, why don't we all think about some ideas and then be ready to discuss them this Friday?" Hannah concluded.

Shortly after that, the meeting cleared up and everyone dispersed. Mike and Lola, a.k.a, Oliver and Lilly, left to go to dinner together. Robby Ray had dinner plans with his girlfriend, so Hannah was going to call her limo and ride home alone.

"Bye, dad," she said, as Robby Ray walked towards the exit.

"You sure you'll be alright by yourself, bud?" he asked.

Hannah rolled her eyes. "Dad," she said pointedly. "I'm 22. I'll be fine by myself. I have to be fine by myself. I'm moving into my own apartment, remember?"

Robby Ray nodded. "Okay. I'll be home by 11." He looked at Jesse. "Bye, Jesse."

"Bye, Mr. Stewart."

After he was gone, Hannah turned to me. "Bye," she said distractedly, as she typed on her phone.

"Your limo is here?" Jesse asked.

"Not yet. I'm gonna call," she replied.

"So why are you saying bye now?" Jesse wondered aloud.

Hannah shrugged. "I thought you were going."

"I'm not gonna leave you here alone, Miley," Jesse stated, staring directly into Hannah's eyes. "It's getting dark outside."

Hannah snorted. "Jesse, I'm 22."

"I know."

"Exactly...Jesse, just go. It's fine," Hannah replied.

"Miley, it's starting to rain outside," Jesse pointed out.

"And?" Hannah prompted.

"Why don't you let me drive you home? To give your driver a break," Jesse suggested. "No sense in making him drive out here when I'm already here."

"It's fine!" Hannah yelled.

"Geez, okay. Okay. I'm going. No need to yell at me!" Jesse yelped, his face showing hurt. He turned around and started to walk away.

Hannah leaned forward and grabbed Jesse's arm. "Jesse, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to yell at you...a ride home would be great," she said softly and carefully.

Jesse nodded. "Okay."

The two of them walked to Jesse's car together. As Jesse drove off, Hannah removed her wig, revealing her wavy brown hair. Jesse did everything he could not to stare at her as they drove.

"So. We haven't talked since that Christmas party at my dad's house two years ago...what's new?" Jesse asked carefully.

Miley shrugged. "Um. Well, as you know, I graduated two months ago, in May. And Jake and I broke up about six months ago...that's really all that's been going on."

Jesse glanced over at Miley. "You guys broke up?"

Miley looked down at her feet. "After five years of dating, he cheated on me," she replied softly.

"Oh...Miley. I'm sorry," Jesse said sincerely.

Miley shrugged. "It was for the best. Jake and I were too different. He's always cared so much more about fame. He easily gets caught up in all of the drama and everything. That's not the type of person I want to spend the rest of my life with. And after being together for five years, I realized that I shouldn't waste my time on someone who would never be good for me for my whole life. At 22 years old, I shouldn't be worrying about marriage or anything since I have so much time left...but,I didn't see any sense in pursuing a relationship that wasn't going anywhere. I tried to stick it out for a little longer...but then he cheated on me. The end."

Jesse nodded. "My girlfriend-"

"Wait. You have a girlfriend?" Miley questioned, in surprise.

"Yeah. Her name is Amber."

"Oh, is she nice?" Miley asked.

Jesse smiled. "Very nice," he responded.

"Cool," Miley replied in a neutral tone.

"Yeah," Jesse said. "So anyway, Amber and I have been together for a little more than six months now. It's been really good with us. And I'm really happy with everything. You should come to our 4th of July barbecue on Thursday."

"Lilly and Oliver and I usually just hang out at my house, but this year they're going to a party at Lilly's college friend's house. So I don't have any plans. I'd love to come," Miley said confidently.

"Cool," Jesse replied. "I'm looking forward to it."

At that time, Jesse pulled into the driveway of Miley's house. "Well here we are," she said.

"Here we are," he echoed.

"Thanks so much for the ride," Miley said honestly.

"Anytime," Jesse stated. "Anytime."

* * *

**So let me know if you think I should continue? If I don't get some reviews saying I should continue, then I won't. But I thought I'd get this story out there and see if anyone wanted me to continue. So let me know, or else I won't.**

**Thanks!**

**--DavidArchuletaLove15  
**


	2. Barbecue

Two days later, on Thursday, Miley was packing up boxes in her room, when her phone rang. She reached over and grabbed her cell off of her bed. The caller ID read: _Jesse_. Miley's heart involuntarily started racing. She carefully pressed the _send_ button on her phone. She pressed the phone against her ear and shyly said, "Hello?"

"Hey, Miley," his voice came through the phone in a strong tone.

"Hi, Jesse. What's up?" Miley asked quietly.

"Um, I wanted to know if you were definitely coming to my house tonight?" he inquired hopefully.

"Yeah, I'll be there," Miley said, biting her lip.

"Cool. Be here at 6:30, okay? And it'll probably end around 11:00. Is that good?"

"Yeah. Sounds good. Do you want me to bring anything?" Miley said.

"Just yourself," Jesse responded. "Oh, and uh, wear a bathing suit and bring a towel. We have a pool."

Miley laughed. "I know. I've been to your house before, remember?"

"Oh, yeah," Jesse said.

"Yup. So I guess I'll see you tonight," Miley said.

"Okay, see you then."

Miley hung up the phone and placed it on the floor besides her. She continued to pack boxes. She was moving to her new apartment in just one week. Miley smiled, thinking of how exciting this would be for her to live out on her own. She reached under her bead and pulled out an old scrapbook from her last year of high school. Miley flipped threw the pages, grinning when she saw a picture of her and Jesse at a concert when she was 17. The next picture showed them smiling, while Jesse had his arm around her.

Miley remembered what had happened after that picture. Jesse had run off with a random girl he met. Miley shook her head, hardly believing that picture was from five years ago. It had been taken about four months after Miley chose Jake over Jesse. It took them a few months to get over the awkwardness during band practice and concerts. Then, Miley and Jesse had become good friends, much to the dismay of Jake. He had always hated Jesse. _Hated_.

Miley dropped the scrapbook into the box in front of her and sealed it. She grabbed another empty box and began dumping old CD's into it. She found another scrapbook. This one was filled of pictures of her and Jake over the years. She had dropped it into a giant pile on the floor by the window, after she and Jake had broken up earlier that year. A stray tear rolled down her face, and Miley quickly wiped it away, before throwing the book into the box.

--

Miley nervously walked up the familiar steps that led to Jesse's house. She lifted a shaky hand and rang the doorbell. The door opened and Miley was delighted to see Jesse's mom standing there.

"Is that Miley Stewart?" Jesse's mom, Geena Smith, said jokingly.

"Geena!" Miley squealed. She leaped forward and gave Geena a hug.

"Miley, I haven't seen you in two and a half years! The last time I saw you was at my Christmas party when you were in your second year of college! And now look at you! A college graduate!" Geena exclaimed

Miley smiled as she pulled away from Geena. "I knowww," she whined. "I've really missed you and Abby! She's almost thirteen now, right?"

"Yup," Geena responded. "Graduating middle school next year," she said proudly.

"Aw! I can't believe that! I've known her since she was seven!" Miley exclaimed.

"Imagine how I feel! I've known her since before she was born," Geena replied with a laugh. "Let's head out back. That's where everyone is."

Geena led Miley down the familiar hallway and into the kitchen. Then, they walked into the family room, which had the back door.

Before opening the door, Geena turned to Miley. She took her hands and held them tightly. "Miley, I'm so glad that you're back and talking to Jesse again. He really can use a good friend like you. When you left for college, he was so sad. And when you came home on breaks, I know that you two did everything you could to hang out and have fun together, but your boyfriend and Jesse just didn't get along. Jesse was so terribly upset about everything that happened between him and Jake. And the more time that passed, the less of a chance he felt he had at getting you back as a close friend. Now that you're doing the tour and everything with him, I know that you guys will re-connect and become close again."

Miley smiled warmly. "I really hope so. I really have missed Jesse. And I feel the same way...that the longer we let our friendship disintegrate, the harder it was to re-connect. But now I'm back, and hopefully you're right. I want to hang out and be close with Jesse again. I feel like Jake cheated me out of a lot of time with Jesse, which is why I am so glad that he is out of my life now."

"Yes, Jesse told me that you and Jake broke up. I'm sorry," Geena said sincerely.

"I'm not," Miley said strongly. "At least not anymore."

"Well, good. I'm glad," Geena replied. With that, she reached out and opened the sliding back door. She stepped outside, and Miley followed her.

"Miley!" a strong male voice called. "Over here!"

Geena smiled at Miley and motioned over towards the pool. Miley looked past the crowd of people and saw Jesse sitting on the edge of the pool, holding hands with a petite red-hed. As Miley walked closer, he heart sank. She watched as the red-hed turned towards Jesse and pressed her over-plumped limps against his. Miley continued to walk towards them, though.

"Hey," she said when she was standing in front of them.

"Miley, hey!" Jesse exclaimed, standing up. He reached forward and gave Miley a quick hug. "I'm so glad you're here," he said happily.

The red-head stood up and carefully examined Miley. Then, she snaked a thin arm around Jesse's waist. "Aren't you going to introduce me?" she asked snottily.

"Uh, yeah," Jesse said uncertainly. "Amber, this is Miley. Miley, this is my girlfriend, Amber," he said uneasily.

"Nice to meet you," Miley said politely. She plastered on a fake smile and stretched her hand out to shake Amber's.

Amber stood there and stared at Miley's hand. "I don't shake hands, sorry. I think that people need to keep their germs to themselves," she said, totally grossed out. "I don't shake anybody's hand, just to be on the safe side. Not to say that you're dirty or anything!"

Miley dropped her hand. "O-okay? Weren't you and Jesse just holding hands?" she asked pointedly.

Amber put her hand on her hip. "I mean that I don't shake hands of people I don't know. I know Jesse. Very, _very_ well," she emphasized.

"Reeeally?" Miley asked. "What's his favorite ice cream flavor?" she challenged.

Amber looked surprised. "Um..." she stalled. Both girls glanced at Jesse. Jesse raised an eyebrow. "Vanilla?" Amber guessed hopefully.

Miley snorted. "Eh! Wrong. Jesse is a chocolate person. He also loves chocolate chip cookie dough," she said confidently.

Amber shrugged. "Okay, well. Just because I don't know what kind of ice cream he likes, doesn't mean I don't know him."

"What's his favorite ice cream topping?" Miley questioned.

"What's your obsession with ice cream?" Amber snapped.

"Just answer the question," Miley replied.

Jesse smirked, clearly amused with this.

"Chocolate syrup?" Amber asked.

"Wrong. Cherries," Miley laughed. "What's his favorite pizza topping?"

"Ooh! I know this one! Pepperoni!" Amber giggled.

"Wrong. Jesse hates pepperoni ever since he was five and his cousin barfed pepperoni pizza all over his shoes. His favorite is sausage," Miley said confidently.

Amber rolled her eyes. "Okay, well do you know what he looks like naked?" she asked haughtily.

Miley's face turned red. "No...why would I?"

Amber smirked. "Well, I do," she replied. "Ha."

"Okay!" Jesse interjected, "that's enough! For real. Enough."

Miley shrugged. "Fine by me," she muttered.

"Jesse-poo. Get this freak away from us," Amber complained.

"That's okay. I'm going," Miley replied. She turned around.

"Miley, wait! No!" Jesse called out.

"Jesse!" Amber protested.

Jesse rolled his eyes. "Miley, I don't want you to go."

"Why not?" Miley asked, turning back around.

"Because you're my friend. And Amber is my girlfriend. I don't want either one of you to leave, and I don't want either one of you to be upset."

Miley shrugged. "Well it's too late for that, Jesse," she said in a hurt voice. She turned around and walked slowly across the deck.

"Miley! Where are you going?"

Miley turned and saw Geena standing there, looking confused.

"I'm sorry, but Jesse and Amber don't want me here," Miley said honestly.

"What?! Of course Jesse wants you here. He was so excited when he told me that you were coming!" Geena yelped.

"_Really_?" Miley said, her heart melting a little bit.

"MILEY!"

Miley whirled around at the sound of her name being called by a young girl. "ABBY!"

Jesse's younger sister ran towards Miley and threw her arms around her. "I haven't seen you in SO long! Since I was in FIFTH grade!" Abby yelped.

"Yeah, it's been wayyy too long! I missed you so much!" Miley said, as Abby released her from her grip. "But I'm here now."

Abby pulled Miley over away from the crowd of people. "So," she said wrinkling her nose in disgust. "Have you met Amber?"

Miley nodded. "Yeah...just a minute ago."

"UGH! She's a nightmare! You need to help me get rid of her!" Abby screeched.

Miley giggled. "Shhh! Keep your voice down. And you're right. She is a nightmare. But it is up to Jesse to decide who he dates, so let him do what he wants. We can't interfere," she said sadly.

"Mileeey! What happened to the fun Miley I remember?" Abby whined, stomping her foot.

"I'm right here. Trust me! We're gonna have fun. Come on, it looks like your uncle finished making the burgers! Let's go eat!"


	3. You Lost Your Chance

"So, Miley. Tell me about what's been going on in your life lately," Abby pleaded, before taking a bite of her cheeseburger.

Miley smiled at Jesse's little sister, who wasn't so little anymore. "Well-"

"Did you break up with that guy yet?" Abby interrupted.

Miley laughed. "Um, yeah. A while ago...we're over."

"Great!" Abby cheered. "Now we just have to break Jesse and Amber up!"

"Abby, no. I told you we can't do that," Miley said quietly.

"Pleeeease," Abby said, sticking her lower lip out.

Miley laughed. "That may have worked when you were in elementary school, but not now that you're thirteen!"

Abby slammed her fist on the table. "Darn it."

Miley laughed. "Sorry."

Abby shook her head. "I hate Amber," she grumbled.

"Me, too," Miley replied sadly. She glanced across the backyard and saw Jesse and Amber cuddling on the bench. She shook her head and couldn't help but let the thought cross her mind..._I wish that was me._

--

"So, then it's settled. September 13th is the official start date for the tour?" Lola asked excitedly.

Hannah nodded. "Yep!" she squealed.

"Thank you, gentlemen. Good to see you," Robby Ray said, shaking hands as he walked around the table.

A few minutes later, it was just Robby Ray, Hannah, Lola, Mike, and Jesse in the room.

"Celebratory pizza on me!" Robby Ray announced.

"Oh, I am SO in," Oliver said, yanking the hat off his head and ripping off the fake facial hair.

Hannah laughed. She pulled the wig off her head, as Lola did the same. "Let's go!" she shouted, linking arms with Lilly. They started to skip out of the room, when Miley noticed something. "Hey...Jesse. Aren't you gonna come with us?" Miley asked.

"Nah, you probably just want to be with your friends and your dad."

Miley raised an eyebrow. "But, Jesse, you _are_ my friend."

Jesse shrugged. "Kinda thought you hated me after yesterday."

Robby Ray exchanged a look with Lilly and Oliver and led them out of the room quietly.

Miley looked down at her shoes. "Well, no..." she replied honestly. "I just hate your girlfriend," she stated bluntly.

Jesse nodded slowly. "I can understand that."

"Yeah...she's kinda of...not nice," Miley said slowly.

Jesse walked closer to Miley and looked right into her eyes. "I'm sorry. She didn't mean to upset you."

Miley shook her head. "See," she said, "that's the thing. She _did _mean to upset me."

Jesse held up a hand. "Now, hold on, Miley. How do you know that?" he accused.

Miley laughed cruelly. "Jesse, I can tell when a person is a mean bitch. I'm not dumb."

"Hey, don't call her that!" Jesse shrilled.

Miley shook her head again. "Wow. It is so sad that after all these years, you're still the same guy you were back then."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

Miley rolled her eyes. "When you first started playing in my band you were the biggest womanizer I had ever met. You always picked the ditzes. The clingy, annoying, fake bitches. And then you dumped them. And moved on to the next. It is clear that you are still the same, and your choice in girlfriends is still the same."

Jesse snorted. When he spoke, his voice was loud and cold. "Well at least my girlfriends never cheat on me, the way Jake cheated on you."

Miley froze. Tears welled up in her eyes. "I can't believe you just said that," she said, her lip quivering.

All at once, Jesse realized what he had just done. When he spoke again, his voice was soft and comforting. "Oh...Miley. I'm sorry. I didn't mean that." He leaned forward to give her a hug, but she backed away from him.

"Stay away from me," she seethed, backing away.

"Miley, please," Jesse pleaded, the pain evident in his eyes.

Miley stayed silent for a few moments, thinking. "Amber is really _not_ nice," she said quietly.

Jesse nodded. "I respect your opinion, but I really like her. I may even love her."

"Love?" Miley questioned, looking directly into his eyes.

Jesse nodded again.

"You _may_?" she repeated.

"Yeah. Maybe," Jesse said flatly.

Miley shook her head again, tilting it to the side slightly. "Jesse, there's no _maybe_. Love isn't a maybe."

Jesse shrugged. "I'm just not sure yet."

"How long have you been together?" Miley questioned.

"About six and a half months," Jesse responded.

Miley shrugged. "Well. I really don't like her. So don't expect me to ever be around her, okay?"

Jesse nodded in agreement. "Okay."

With that, Miley turned and walked out of the room.

"Hey," Jesse called after her. Miley stopped and turned slowly. "What about pizza?"

Miley looked at him wistfully. "You lost your chance."


	4. It's You and Me

Miley nearly jumped when her phone rang. She had been deeply concentrating on a new song she was writing. Glancing down at the caller ID, Miley sighed. It was Jesse. With a shaking hand, Miley answered the phone. "Hi," she said quietly.

"Hey," he said softly.

Miley leaned back against her pillow. "What's up?" she asked in a monotone. It had been three days since she'd last spoken to Jesse.

"Well. We have band practice tomorrow and I didn't want things to be weird. So I wanted to call to see if we were okay," Jesse said carefully.

Miley rolled her eyes. "We're fine, I guess," she muttered.

"Really? Cause you don't sound fine to me," Jesse observed.

"Well. I'm fine. Okay?" Miley replied narrowly.

"Okay. Cool. So what are you up to?" Jesse asked.

"Just foolin' around with some lyrics. Trying to write a song," Miley replied.

"Can I hear it?" Jesse asked hopefully.

"It's lame. I'm not even finished with it yet," Miley responded.

"Come on. Just play me a little bit of it. I want to hear you sing. Please?"

Miley sighed. There was just something about the hopefulness of his sweet voice. "Okay," she said in a small voice.

"Okay. Whenever your ready," Jesse said happily.

Miley took a deep breath and glanced down at the piece of paper in front of her. "It's probably not gonna sound that good. And I'm not gonna play the guitar with it right now. I'll just sing a little bit of it. It's called 'It's You and Me.' Here it goes."

"Okay," Jesse replied.

Miley hesitated, then began to sing,

_"We never know where we will end up  
Never know where this road will go  
But I want you here with me  
And that's all I know_

_These days  
It seems things are changing  
I can't stop us  
Or the world from rearranging_

_And so I want you to know  
That I'm glad you're by my side  
And I want you to see  
This time I'm not gonna hide_

_And maybe  
Maybe this time it will be different  
Something will go right for once  
I've got you here  
When it's you and me  
We are happy, happy as can be  
So if you tell her, tell her  
__To get out of the way  
Maybe this time will be different__  
Different  
It's you and me._

And that's all I have so far. I'm trying to work on the second verse right now."

"Wow," Jesse managed to say. "Miley, that was amazing."

"Thanks," Miley replied, biting her lip nervously. She wondered if Jesse knew that the song was about him. And if he did, he probably didn't realize what the song even meant.

"Miley...was that about..." Jesse trailed off.

"What?" Miley asked nervously.

"Never mind. But that was really good. I'd love to hear the rest when you finish it," Jesse told Miley. "Is that okay?"

"Yeah, sure."

"Okay...cool."

"Yeah, cool," Miley grumbled, before hitting the end button on her phone. "Stupid Jesse," she mumbled.

"Knock knock," a voice came from the doorway. Miley turned and saw her dad standing there, holding a plate of chocolate chip cookies. Miley didn't even break a smile. Robby Ray walked into the room and held the plate out toward his daughter. "Cookie for your thoughts," he joked.

Miley rolled her eyes and glanced up towards the ceiling, refusing to make eye contact.

"C'mon, Miles. You've been like this for days. What's up with you? Is your little fight with Jesse still bothering you?" Robby Ray wanted to know.

Miley shrugged. "No. It wasn't really a fight. And we're fine now."

"You don't look fine. Or sound fine," her dad noted.

"So I've heard," Miley mumbled monotonously.

Robby Ray sighed and glanced around the near empty room, with the boxes stacked up in piles. "I can't believe that my baby girl is moving out," he said, shaking his head.

Miley rolled her eyes. "Jackson moved out, too. And he's getting married. That's something bigger for you to worry about," she pointed out.

"But, still. You only have three days left here. Aren't you the least bit sad?" her dad wanted to know.

Miley gazed at the floor filled with boxes. "Yeah. Of course. But I'm excited, too."

"I'm excited for you, too, Miley," Robby Ray said sincerely.

Miley smiled. "Yeah."

"Now, there's that smile!" Robby Ray exclaimed. "I was beginning to think I was never going to see it again."

Miley rolled her eyes. "I'm gonna go pack some more clothes. I'm almost done. Then I'll go to bed, since we have early practice tomorrow."

"Okay," Robby Ray said, before kissing Miley's forehead. "Goodnight, bud."

--

Practice started at 9:00 the next morning. Miley showed up in her Hannah costume, ready to sing. She glanced around the empty room, her stomach flip-flopping when she realized that Jesse would arrive any minute. Oliver couldn't make it to practice because he was going to a doctor's appointment, so Lilly rode with Robby Ray and Miley.

"So..." Lola said quietly, as she and Hannah watched the other three guys in the band set up their equipment.

"What?" Hannah asked, turning to face Lola.

"Nothing," Lola said suspiciously. "It's just that you seem to be a little nervous about something."

Hannah hesitated. "Oh! You know, just nervous about this tour! It's been so long since I went touring, that I'm just so nervous about getting back out there! It's scary!" she insisted.

Lola raised an eyebrow. "Really?"

"Really," Hannah said with a tight smile.

"So this has nothing to do with Jesse?" Lola pressed.

"Psshh! Jesse? W-what would he have to do with anything?" Hannah stammered.

"Did I hear my name?"

"Jesse!" Hannah shrieked. "Heyy," she added, in a more casual voice.

Jesse nodded. "'Sup."

Lola glanced knowingly at Hannah. Jesse walked past them with his guitar case in hand.

"So, you ready?" Jesse asked.

"For practice?" Hannah asked.

"Yeah. And for the tour. It's in, like, two months," Jesse pointed out.

"Yeah. Well, that's plenty of time to practice!" Hannah said.

"Alright, let's go! It's 9:05 already!" Robby Ray exclaimed, walking up to Hannah, Lola, and Jesse.

"Okay. Let's get up there," Jesse said, looking directly at Hannah.

--

"That was like magic today, Hannah! You were great up there!" Jesse said, as he and the other guys packed up their equipment.

"Thanks, Jesse," Hannah said with a smile.

"Yeah. So I'll see you the day after tomorrow," Jesse said.

Hannah nodded. "Nine a.m. sharp!" she said with a laugh.

--

By 9:15, Robby Ray was fuming mad. Jesse hadn't shown up, and he didn't answer his phone.

"Dad, calm down. I'm sure he's just running later or stuck in traffic. He'll be here," Hannah assured her father.

"Yeah. It's just typical Jesse. Late," Lola said with a laugh.

Oliver/Mike nodded. "Typical Jesse," he agreed.

By 9:25, Hannah was worried. Jesse was never _this_ late without calling first. And he _always_ answered his phone. "I'm gonna try calling him again," Hannah said to no one in particular.

By 9:45, it was agreed that Jesse wasn't coming. After practice ended around 11:00, Miley tried to call Jesse on the car ride home. When there was no answer, Miley was about to hang up. Suddenly, there was a voice on the other end of the phone.

"Hello?" said a young female.

Abby.

"Abby?" Miley shrieked. "What is your brother doing? He was supposed to be at practice this morning!"

"Miley?"

"Yeah?" Miley said, glancing at her phone. Why did it sound like Abby had been crying?

"I'm here at the hospital with my parents, my grandma, and Amber...Jesse was in a car accident on his way to practice this morning..."


	5. Hospital Visit

**So...there's been a lot of people who put this story on story alert and a few on their favorite list, too. But...no reviews. Not gonna complain. Just gonna say it makes me feel sad. Cause clearly you guys like it if you put it on story alert, so it makes no sense not to review. I get it that people are busy, but...all the time? Not so much. Kinda upsetting. :(  
**

* * *

"Park the damn car, dad! Hurry up!"

"Why don't I just let you, Oliver, and Lilly off at the door?" Robby Ray suggested frantically.

"Good idea!" Miley yelped. Robby Ray pulled the car up to the entrance. Before the car even came to a stop, Miley opened the door and jumped out. Robby Ray stopped the car, and Lilly jumped out, as well. "Let's go!" Miley shrilled.

Robby Ray shot a glance at Lilly. "Keep an eye on her, will ya?" he said, as Oliver climbed out of the car, too.

"Will do, Mr. Stewart," Lilly promised.

Without looking back, Miley raced forward toward the door. Oliver and Lilly anxiously hurried after her.

"Why do I get the feeling that Miley likes Jesse as more than just a friend?" Oliver whispered to Lilly.

"Because she does," Lilly replied quietly, as they raced after Miley. "She just hasn't admitted it yet. So don't mention it, okay?"

Oliver nodded in agreement.

"Excuse me! Excuse me!" Miley yelled to the woman at the front desk. "I need the room of Jesse Smith!"

The woman stared at Miley over the top of her thick glasses. "Are you family?" she asked grumpily.

"No, b-but I'm a very close family friend," Miley said nervously.

The woman shook her head. "I'm sorry. We can't give out any information on his room number. All I can tell you is that he's in surgery right now."

"Surgery for what?" Miley gasped.

The woman shook her head again. "Sorry. That's it."

"Look, lady! I-"

"Miley!"

Miley turned around and saw Abby standing over by Lilly and Oliver. Miley rushed over to Abby and wrapped her arms around her.

"Miley," Abby sobbed.

"Abby, what happened? Where's Jesse? What's wrong with him? What happened?" Miley said, all in one breath.

"Geez, give her a chance to speak," Oliver laughed.

Lilly shot him a look.

Abby took Miley's arm and led her down the hall. "This way," she said, leading them to the elevator. Oliver and Lilly followed closely behind. "Jesse was driving when a crazy guy hit him. The guy was drunk."

"At nine in the morning there was a drunk guy?" Oliver asked.

Abby shrugged, trying to hold back her tears. "I don't know the guy's whole damn story. I just know he was drunk and he hit my big brother," she said in a baby voice.

"Oh, Abby," Miley said sadly, holding the teen close again.

As the elevator doors closed, Abby continued talking. "We got the call, and I was in shock. We rushed to get here right away. And then my grandma met us here. We all waited to find out what had happened. And then...then they told us," she sobbed, "that Jesse had a concussion, a bruised and cut face, two bruised ribs, and a sprained wrist."

Miley gasped. Tears formed in her eyes, as she pictured Jesse laying there, helpless, broken.

"And there was glass wedged into his arm. They're removing it right now," Abby said, as they got out of the elevator. She led them down the hall. "They say he'll be out soon. And we have to wait in the lobby over here. He should be going to a room soon. They say he should be fine...they say."

Miley nodded, fighting back tears. "He'll be fine, Ab. Don't worry. He'll be okay," she said, as they approached the rest of Abby's family. Oliver and Lilly stayed off to the side, leaning against the wall.

Amber was sitting next to Jesse and Abby's grandmother, with her arm around her. "He's gonna be okay," Amber said sweetly.

Miley couldn't help but roll her eyes.

"Oh, Miley. We're so glad you're here," Jesse's mom, Geena, said through misty eyes.

Miley looked next to Geena and saw Jesse's dad, whom she'd only met twice. She'd seen him at their family's Christmas party two times. He and Geena had been divorced since Jesse was twelve and Abby was three, which was quite a few years before Miley met Jesse's family.

"Hi, Miley. Nice to see you again," Jesse's dad's voice was much calmer now than Miley remembered.

Miley nodded. She spoke, her voice hoarse. "When will we know something?"

"It should be any minute now," Jesse's grandmother chimed in, speaking in a frail voice.

Just then, a young nurse of maybe twenty-eight, walked by the group. "Hello. The doctor will be out momentarily to speak to you," she said as politely as possible.

"Thanks," Jesse's dad said quietly.

A few moments later, a doctor who appeared to be around fifty, emerged from the room down the hall. He approached the family and stopped right in front of them. "Hi, I'm Dr. Martin. I spoke to you about an hour ago when we were bringing Jesse into surgery. Are you all family?"

"Yes, except for Miley, here. And she's a close family friend," Geena told the doctor. Her ex-husband nodded in agreement.

"Very well, then," Dr. Martin said formally. "Well, Jesse is being brought to a room on the fourth floor. Room 417, I believe. He's doing well."

Everyone breathed a sigh of relief.

"As I told you before, it wasn't pretty. The glass was pretty deep into his arm, but we got it out and he should be fine. His wrist looks like it will heal within four or five weeks, no big deal. And as my colleague mentioned to you earlier, the bruises and cuts on Jesse's face are minor, but their not pretty. They may alarm you, but I would advise against telling him how bad he looks. His face should heal within a few weeks, as well. The concussion is going to be checked out once he's in his new room. So I'll keep you posted on that one. And the bruised ribs probably aren't broken, but we have to check again to make sure that they're only bruised. But those should be fine in a little while, too. So basically, he just needs some time to heal."

"Thank you, doctor," Jesse's dad, John, said. "Thank you so much."

Dr. Martin nodded. "You can all head down up to the fourth floor, while Jesse is brought up there. it should be any minute now. The nurses are just checking him over."

"Is he awake?" Geena wanted to know.

"He's been waking up for the last few minutes. He's up, but still in a little bit of a confused and dazed state. He should be coming back into better focus within the next hour or so. He's probably going to be very tired, so I suggest keeping the visits down to a minimum. And no more than two people in the room at a time. Three at the most, if necessary. Any more questions, and just let me know, okay?" Dr. Martin said.

"Okay, thank you, doctor," John stated.

--

Ten minutes later, everyone was sitting in the lobby, when they saw Jesse getting wheeled down the hall by three nurses. Miley gasped when she saw how he looked.

Amber sobbed, "His poor face. His poor handsome face."

Miley and Abby exchanged a look. "She's worried about how his face looks at a time like this?" Abby grumbled.

"Apparently," Miley said with a scowl.

"Okay, mom, why don't you come in with me and John?" Geena said to Jesse's grandmother.

"The doctor said two at a time," she pointed out.

"He said three was okay," Geena told her mother. "Come on."

With that, the three of them headed into the room, leaving Abby and Miley with the evil Amber.

"So..." Miley said awkwardly.

Amber shot her a snotty look.

Miley and Abby rolled their eyes.

--

"Jesse," Geena breathed out.

Jesse winced as he moved his head slightly to the right, seeing his parents and grandmother standing there. "Hi, mom," Jesse managed to say, as she reached out and placed her hand on top of his.

"Hi, son," John said, fighting back tears.

"Hey, dad," Jesse said, his voice barely above a whisper.

Jesse's grandmother couldn't even bring herself to speak.

"Hi, grandma," Jesse whispered, looking up at her.

She started sobbing as she said hi.

"We're so glad you're okay, son," John told Jesse quietly.

"Yeah, and Abby is out in the waiting room. She's anxious to see you. She's been crying for the last two hours. And Amber got here about an hour ago. She called your phone and Abby answered and told her to come here. And Miley called, too. So Abby told her to come. She just got here fifteen minutes ago. They're all anxious to see you, hun," Geena told her son with a small smile.

"Miley's here?" Jesse croaked.

Geena smiled and nodded. "Yeah, she just got here. She was so worried. And she brought her friends, Lilly and Oliver," she informed Jesse.

"It was nice of her to come," Jesse replied quietly.

"Yeah, it was," Geena responded, running her hands through Jesse's messy hair. She stared silently at the giant bandage wrapped around Jesse's head and the bruises and cuts that covered his whole face.

"Mom, how bad does it look?" Jesse wanted to know.

Geena and John hesitated, exchanging a look. "That's not important right now, son. As long as you're okay, that's what we're concerned about. Okay, Jess?" John stated.

Jesse managed a nod. "Okay," he said. He attempted to shift positions, but failed miserably. He groaned in pain, and clutched his ribs, using his right arm, since his left wrist was in a cast. The left arm was also where the piece of glass had been removed from. "Ow," he whimpered sadly.

"My poor baby," Geena said sadly.

Jesse managed a laugh, even though it hurt. "Mom, I'm fine."

His mother nodded. "Okay."

--

When Jesse's parents and grandmother emerged from the room, Geena looked at Amber, Abby, and Miley. "Do you three want to go in separately or together?" she asked.

"I want to go in by myself," Amber stated snottily.

"I want to go in with Miley," Abby declared, linking arms with Miley.

"Okay, that's fine," Geena replied.

"Well, I get to go next, since he's my brother," Abby announced, standing up.

"Well, I'm his girlfriend!" Amber protested.

"Yeah, you've known him for half a year. I've known him for my whole life," Abby pointed out.

Miley stifled a laugh.

"Well, then, why does she get to go with you? I should get to," Amber snapped.

"Because I love Miley. And so does Jesse. They've been friends for six years. And I honestly don't like you," Abby replied. "I'm not going to put on an act anymore. I just really, really don't like you."

"Abby!" Geena shrieked.

Abby rolled her eyes. "I'm so sick of this rotten bitch," she snapped.

"ABBY!" Geena yelled. "You stop that right now."

Abby shook her head. "Miley, let's go. Jesse will be glad to see _us_." Abby took Miley's hand and led her into Jesse's room.

Miley and Abby walked over to Jesse's bed. He lay there, unmoving for a few moments.

Abby cleared her throat. "Hey," she said quietly.

Jesse turned his head slightly. "Hey, kiddo," he said to his sister. Then, he saw Miley standing besides Abby. "Hey, Miles," he added warmly.

"Hey, Jesse. How do you feel?" Miley asked. "Well, I guess that's a a pretty dumb question. You must feel awful."

Jesse nodded slightly, wincing in pain. "Well I feel better now that you two are here," he said.

"And Amber?" Abby asked with a scowl.

Jesse didn't answer for a while. He stared up at the ceiling, rubbing his left arm with his right. "What about her?" he muttered eventually.

"She's a bitch," Abby said bluntly.

"Abby!" Miley yelped, taking on the role of Geena. Jesse blinked in surprise.

"What? It's true and you know it!" Abby protested.

"Yes, it may be true. But this is the girl that your brother loves. You can't just talk about her like that," Miley said sadly.

Abby shook her head. "This is unbelievable! _Love_?" she shrieked, glancing at Jesse in disbelief.

Jesse sighed. "Ab, can I talk to Miley for a moment? You can come back in a minute, I promise."

"Okay. Fine," Abby muttered, before stomping out of the room.

When she was gone, Miley turned to Jesse. "Why do you want to talk to me? What do you have to say that you can't say in front of Abby?"

Jesse hesitated. "Can you help me sit up? I'm a little uncomfortable." Miley reached forward and tried to help Jesse sit up. "Ouch!" he yelped a few times.

Miley felt badly. "Sorry," she murmured.

"Don't feel badly. It's not your fault," Jesse mumbled. He leaned back.

"So what did you want to talk to me about?" Miley asked again.

Jesse sighed again. "About just a minute ago...when you said that I love Amber..."

"Yeah? What about that?" Miley wondered aloud.

Jesse took a deep breath. "Well, I don't."

"You don't what?"

"Love her," Jesse said flatly.

"But you told me..." Miley trailed off.

"I know what I told you. And I thought I did...but..." Jesse stopped.

"But what?" Miley pressed.

"Abby's right," Jesse said with a laugh. "Amber is a bitch," he said truthfully.

Miley snickered. "I know this."

"Yeah...so I think I'm gonna break up with her soon. I should have listened to you when you told me she was no good. She was horribly mean to you, as she always is to Abby. I know that Abby can't stand her. And the rest of my family isn't too fond of her either," Jesse explained.

Miley nodded. "Well I'm glad you see it that way," she said happily.

Jesse smiled, but he seemed to be distracted. "Yeah..."

"Well, you look tired. I better go," Miley said softly.

"Yeah...wait..."

Miley waited. "Yeah?" she prompted.

Jesse shook his head. "Never mind."

"Okay. Feel better," Miley cooed. She bent over and kissed the top of Jesse's head gently.

Jesse couldn't help but smile. Miley turned and walked out of the room.


	6. Surprise Call and Crying Girl

**I've been suuuper busy and haven't had time to write. This chapter is short, but eventful! Happy New Year to all!**

* * *

"How is he?" Miley asked Geena when she arrived at the hospital the next morning at 10:00.

Geena smiled at Miley. "He's sleeping. Uncomfortably, of course. But at least, he's sleeping," Geena said with a smile.

Miley nodded as Geena led her into the room. There, she saw Jesse sleeping, with his hand over his ribs.

"My poor baby," Geena murmured. "He looks like he's in so much pain."

Miley nodded. "Yeah. I feel so bad," she said sadly.

Geena and Miley headed out into the hall. "His dad is stopping by after work today. I'm supposed to go to work, but I don't want to leave Jesse. I don't want him to wake up and be alone."

"You can go. I'll stay here," Miley offered.

"Are you sure?"

Miley nodded.

"Jesse's aunt and uncle are coming around 1:00, so you'd only have to stay until then," Geena informed her. "I probably won't stay the whole day at work. I work until 4:30, but I'll probably come back around two instead," Geena explained.

Miley nodded. "Okay. I'll stay," she told Geena.

"Thank you so much, Miley," Geena said gratefully. She gave Miley a quick hug. She went into Jesse's room, kissed his cheek lightly, then left.

Miley pulled up a chair next to Jesse's bed and sat down quietly.

"I thought she'd never leave."

Miley turned toward the source of the voice. Jesse's opened and he stared at Miley with a smile.

"Thanks for coming. I didn't want my mom to stay all day and miss work. It's not that I don't want to be with her, but she'd probably just cause a fuss. You know how mothers are," Jesse said.

Miley shrugged. "Well, not really," she pointed out.

Jesse winced. "Right. Sorry."

Miley shrugged again. "Yeah. So...have you talked to Amber yet?" she wanted to know.

Jesse smiled knowingly. "Not yet. She said she's coming to visit me later today."

"And?" Miley asked a little too eagerly.

Jesse laughed slightly, clutching his ribs. "Don't make me laugh. It hurts," he whined jokingly.

Miley shrugged. "I didn't even say anything funny," she protested.

Jesse shook his head. "Yeah...so. How long are you staying today?" he wondered softly.

Miley smiled. "All day. Hours and hours and hours. You're not getting rid of me."

"What about practice?" Jesse asked. "Wasn't there one today?"

"Yeah. Well I'd rather be here with you. And plus, there is no practice without you. We need you to be there," Miley explained.

"Well, obviously, I won't be able to play for a long time," Jesse said sadly. "So I guess that means no tour for me. You'll need a replacement. The tour's in five weeks," he added.

Miley smiled again. "It's being postponed. It's not five weeks from now anymore. It'll be ten weeks from now. You should be able to play by then, hopefully," she informed him.

Jesse sat up slowly. "Really? You did that for me? Why can't you just get another guitar player?" he asked.

Miley grinned. "Well, you're the best there is."

"No I'm not," Jesse snorted, shaking his head.

Miley reached out and ran her fingers through Jesse's messy hair. "Someone needs to get you a brush," she joked.

"Hey. I like my hair messy," Jesse pouted.

"I can see that," Miley giggled.

Jesse rolled his eyes. "Well, excuse me for not caring about my hair when I'm in a hospital bed," he joked.

Miley giggled. Just then, there was a knock at the door. "Hey, baby," a voice cooed from the doorway.

Miley and Jesse looked up and saw Amber walking towards them. Miley quickly scooted her chair back. Jesse ran his hand through his hair. "H-hey, Amber. What's up?"

"Just worried about you, babe," Amber said sweetly. Miley snorted. Amber shot her a look. "Maybe you should leave now," Amber snapped.

Miley laughed. "Maybe _you_ should leave."

Amber folded her arms across her chest. "Pfft. Yeah right. Jesse is _my_ boyfriend. I'm, staying with him."

Miley glanced at Jesse. "I'll step out of the room and give you two a moment to talk," she said with a smirk. Jesse flashed her a grateful smile before she exited.

Miley walked down the hall to the waiting room and sat down in a chair. She knew Jesse was going to break up with Amber now, so she figured she'd just wait until Amber walked by, crying hysterically. Then, Miley could go back into Jesse's room. Miley picked up her cell and texted Lilly to let her know how Jesse was doing. Just after she hit the send button, her phone started ringing. Miley glanced down at the caller ID. It was...Jake?

Miley pondered whether or not she should answer. Eventually, she lifted the phone to her ear and said, "Hello?" Her voice was shaky and unsure.

His voice was much softer than she remembered. "Hi, Miley."

"Jake? What do you want?" Miley said, not bothering to tone down the harshness in her voice.

"I just wanted to talk to you," he replied in the same soft tone.

Miley laughed cruelly. "Jake, we broke up. You cheated on me."

"I know...I know. Look, I'd like to take you out to dinner to talk. How does that sound?" Jake asked hopefully.

Miley laughed again. "Sounds like a slim possibility."

"Please?" Jake begged.

Miley sighed. She knew he wouldn't give up. "Alright. One dinner. We'll talk. When?"

"How's the day after tomorrow?" Jake asked.

"Fine. Where?" Miley said in a bored tone.

"Haven't decided yet. I'll have my limo pick you up at seven. Okay?"

"Okay," Miley mumbled. With that, she clicked the end button on her phone and dropped it onto her lap. Just then, she looked up to see a crying girl running down the hallway. Miley couldn't contain her smile as Amber ran past her. Amber never even looked her way. She just kept running. Miley giggled. "Bitches get what they deserve," she said to herself with glee.


	7. In For A Surprise

Miley walked slowly back into Jesse's hospital room. He was laying there, watching T.V. He looked over at the door when he heard movement. He smiled at Miley immediately. "Hey," he said. Then, his face turned sour. "I'm getting sick of these stupid glasses," he complained, pushing his glasses up on his face. "I'm not allowed to wear my contacts all week. The dumb doctors are making me wear my glasses."

"Aw," Miley said, walking over to Jesse. "Well, how are you going to put contacts in with one hand?" she asked, gesturing towards the cast on his arm.

"Well, I guess someone will have to hold my eyes open for me when I put them in," he said with a laugh.

Miley giggled. "Well, I think your glasses are cute," she informed him.

"Well, you're the only one," Jesse mumbled.

"Aw, don't be such a grump. Be happy!" Miley exclaimed with a laugh.

Jesse snickered. He picked up the T.V. remote and flicked it off. "Well," he said with a grin. "I just broke up with Amber."

A slow smile spread across Miley's face. "I know. I saw her run by. She was crying," she told Jesse.

Jesse bit his lip. "Eh. Now I feel kinda bad," he said quietly.

Miley snorted. "Don't! She's a bitch!"

"True," Jesse reasoned. "Can't deny that."

"Nope!" Miley laughed. "So I forgot to ask your mom. Where's Abby today?"

"She's with her friends. It's her friend Jennie's birthday, so a couple of the girls are spending the day together," Jesse explained. "She was super excited all week."

"Aw, that's cool. Isn't Abby's birthday next week?" Miley asked, as she sat down in the chair beside Jesse.

"Yeah. How'd you remember that?" Jesse asked curiously.

Miley smiled. "Because I love Abby! I love your whole family! Abby, your mom, your grandma, your dad, your dog, even!" she reported.

Jesse rubbed his bandaged head. "What about me?" he wanted to know.

Miley hesitated. "Eh, you're okay," she said with a smirk.

Jesse's jaw dropped. "HEY!" he yelped. "That's not very nice," he complained.

Miley grinned evilly. "Haha!" she yelled.

Jesse pouted for a few seconds. "Mean," he muttered.

"Hey. I think you're _more_ than just okay," Miley told Jesse sincerely. "If I didn't, I wouldn't be here right now. I was supposed to move into my new apartment today, but I pushed everything to tomorrow so that I could be here with you now," she added.

Jesse thought about that for a moment. "Aw, thanks. Well, I'm glad you're here," he said seriously.

Miley smiled, gazing into Jesse's eyes. "Me, too."

--

"I cannot BELIEVE that you tricked me into helping you today!" Jackson Stewart yelled at the top of his lungs.

Miley smirked. "It wasn't me. It was your fiancee, remember?" she reminded Jackson. Miley glanced over at Kara, Jackson's soon-to-be wife. "Thanks, Kar."

Kara smiled. "Of course. Anything for my soon-to-be sister," she responded. "And there's no way you could have gotten Jackson to help you move in today. It's a job that only I can do. I have a power over him," she boasted.

Jackson narrowed his eyes at Kara. "Excuse me? No you don't," he protested.

Miley rolled her eyes. "Whatever, Jackson. Get back to work," she snapped.

"Don't talk to me like that. I'm doing you a favor! Although I don't know why!" Jackson yelped.

Kara smirked. "I told you. It's because of my power over you!" she informed him.

Robby Ray walked into the room. "Mile, where do you want this box?" he wanted to know.

"What does the label say?" Miley asked, squinting to see all the way across the room.

"It says old scrapbooks," Robby Ray replied.

"Put it in my new room," Miley told him. Just then, her phone rang. She pulled it out of her pocket and glanced at the caller ID. "Hey, Jesse," she said into the phone with a smile.

"Hi! Guess what?" he said excitedly.

"What?" Miley asked, as she knelt on the floor in front of an open box.

"I get to go home the day after tomorrow," he replied happily.

"Jesse, that's great!" Miley said eagerly. "I'm so happy for you."

"What happened?" Jackson asked Miley.

"Jesse gets to go home in two days," she told him and Kara.

"That's great," Jackson said.

Miley smiled. "Jackson is happy for you, too," she informed Jesse. "I'm coming by to visit you tomorrow. Is that okay?"

Miley could almost feel Jesse's smile through the phone. His excitement was evident in his voice. "Can't wait! I'm gonna take a nap now. I didn't get much sleep last night because I was uncomfortable."

"Oh, of course! I'll let you go then. I hope you get some sleep. I'll be by tomorrow, okay?"

"Alright," Jesse agreed. "Bye, Miley."

"Bye, Jesse."

After Miley hung up the phone, she saw Jackson and Kara staring at her curiously. "What?" she asked.

Jackson shook his head. "Nothing...it's just that..."

"Just that what?" Miley asked.

"Nothing," Jackson said, shaking his head.

--

"So tomorrow is the big day," Miley said as she entered the hospital room the next day.

Jesse looked up at her and smiled. "Miley!" Abby squealed when she saw her.

"Hey, Ab," Miley replied happily. She gestured towards the bag she was holding. "I brought you some fast food. I thought you might be getting sick of the crap hospital food that they make you eat," she said to Jesse.

Jesse grinned. "Ahh, thank you! Somebody understands!" he yelped.

Miley laughed. "I got you a burger, a milkshake, and some fries. And I got chicken nuggets for Abby," she informed them.

"Yay! You're the best, Miley!" Abby squealed.

Jesse smirked. "You didn't have to get something for Abby," he said. "She's been eating normal people food all week," he reminded Miley.

Miley nodded knowingly. "You want the chicken nuggets, don't you?" she accused.

"You know me too well," Jesse responded with a grin.

Miley smiled. "Lucky for you, I got the ten piece. I'm sure Abby would be willing to give you two or three," she said as she handed Abby the container of chicken nuggets.

"Who are you kidding? He's not gettin' more than one!" Abby reported.

Jesse snickered. "She's never been very big on sharing," he notified Miley. Miley laughed as she handed Jesse the milkshake and burger.

"I hope you don't mind if I take some fries," Miley said.

"Not at all. Have you eaten? Abby could go with you to the cafeteria," Jesse replied.

Miley giggled. "And eat hospital food? No, thanks. I'll leave that to you," she responded. "I had a cheeseburger on my way here."

Jesse nodded as he took a sip of his milkshake. "Mhm. This is great. _So_ much better than hospital gunk," he stated.

Miley smirked. "Good," she said.

"I'm gonna go grab a soda from the vending machine on the other end of the hall, okay?" Abby said. "I'll be back in a sec."

After she exited the room, Jesse looked up at Miley. "So I was wondering, how would you like to come to a sleepover?"

"What?" Miley asked.

Jesse snorted. "A thirteen year old's sleepover. _Abby's_ birthday party," he informed her.

Miley giggled, her face flushing red. "_Oh_. Why would she want me there with a bunch of middle schoolers? Wouldn't I just embarrass her?"

"Of course not. She thinks you're so cool, and apparently her friends would, too. My mother begged me to ask you. Sort of as a surprise for Abby," Jesse explained. "Apparently, all of her friends have awesome sleepover parties, and she's worried that her's won't be that good. So my mom figures that if you were there, you could make it super fun," he explained.

Miley grinned. "When is it?"

"Next Saturday," he replied.

Miley smiled. "Sounds good. Is this supposed to be a secret from Abby?" she asked.

Jesse nodded. "Yeah, don't mention it," he said.

Just then, they heard footsteps outside the door. Abby walked through it, smiling. "Got a sprite," she said. "And I got one for you, too," she said, handing the bottle to Miley.

"Aw, thanks, Abby," Miley replied as she twisted the cap off. "So, someone has a big birthday coming up," she said mischievously.

Abby giggled. "Gee, who could that be?" Jesse joked.

"ME!" Abby laughed.

"The big one-three," Jesse laughed.

Miley smiled. She glanced at Jesse, catching his eye. He winked, probably thinking of the secret they were hiding from Abby. Miley winked back when Abby wasn't looking. She was in for a big surprise. But maybe someone else was in for a surprise, too....


	8. Dinner With Jake

"Alright, well I should get going," Miley said about an hour later. "I have dinner plans," she announced.

"Dinner plans? Where are you going?" Jesse wanted to know.

Miley shrugged. "I actually don't know."

"Well, who are you going with?" Jesse asked curiously.

Miley glanced back and forth between and Abby and Jesse. "Um, Jake?" she said as if it were a question.

Jesse nearly choked. "_Jake_? Why?" he yelped, shocked.

Miley forced a smile. "I...I don't know. He called me and asked to talk."

"And you're going? Why?" Jesse snapped. He narrowed his eyes at Miley.

"I thought you hated him," Abby added.

"Well...I do. But it's complicated," Miley said slowly.

"What's so complicated about it? He cheated on you, you broke up, and you got over him. I mean, at least that's what you told me, anyway. Did you lie? Are you still in love with him?" Jesse spoke quickly.

Miley shook her head. "No, no, no! I'm not! I'm just going to dinner because he asked me to! He said he wanted to talk! It's not that big of a deal!" she insisted.

"Then why do you sound so defensive?" Jesse snapped, sitting up.

"Because you're _accusing_ me!" Miley shouted.

Abby sighed. "Guys, stop arguing! We don't want a nurse or doctor coming in here and telling us that we need to leave because we're disturbing the peace."

"Well, I don't care if Miley leaves. In fact, I _want_ her to go."

Miley gasped, her face showing hurt. "Fine. If that's how you want it, then I'm _gone_."

"No, Miley! Wait!" Abby shouted.

Miley shook her head as she exited the room. "Sorry, Ab. Your brother gets his wish."

--

"Hi, Miley," Jake said into the phone. "I'm sending the limo for you now," he informed her.

Miley sighed as she put the finishing touches on her hair. "Okay," she replied shortly, before hanging up.

Then, Miley headed down to the lobby of the apartment building. A few minutes later, the limo arrived in front of the building. Miley opened the door and walked out. The driver opened the door for her, and she got in hesitantly. He tried to make small talk with her on the ride, but gave no hint as to where he was taking her. About fifteen minutes later, they pulled up in front of a fancy restaurant that Jake had taken Miley to two or three times before. Jake was waiting on the sidewalk when Miley got out of the car.

"Hey, Miles," he said, leaning forward for a hug.

Miley shook her head. "First of all, don't call me that. And second, I'm not hugging you."

Jake's face dropped. "Why not?" he questioned.

"You know why, Jake," Miley responded firmly.

"Fine," was all he said.

Jake led Miley into the restaurant. He told the waitress he had a reservation for Jake Ryan, and she led them straight to their table. They didn't say a word to each other for a few minutes. After ordering their drinks and food, Jake finally spoke.

"Miley, I want you back," he said flatly.

Miley nearly choked on her sprite. "What?" she shrieked.

"Come on, you had to know that's why I asked you here," Jake stated.

Miley shrugged. "I had an idea. But I didn't think you'd just flat out say it, without even making some small talk first," she explained.

"Okay, well do you prefer that I talk about the weather first? Or ask you how your brother and your dad are?" Jake suggested.

Miley rolled her eyes. "No, because I know that you don't really care," she stated tensely.

"That's not true," Jake protested, taking a sip of his wine. "I care."

"Then why did you cheat on me?" Miley questioned innocently.

"Miley, come on. We've had this conversation already," Jake pointed out.

"Exactly! So why are we here?" Miley asked.

"Because I wanted to see you," Jake said quietly, "and I want to get back together."

--

"You don't think that Miley will get back together with Jake, do you?" Abby asked her mother that night, after telling her what went on at the hospital.

Geena hesitated, unsure of how to respond. "Well, maybe. I don't know. She seemed pretty sure that she wouldn't when I talked to her last week. But there's no guarantee. She might still have feelings for him."

"But he cheated on her," Abby protested.

Geena nodded. "I'm aware of this. But sometimes, we love someone even though they've done us wrong," she concluded.

"Do you still love dad?" Abby wondered aloud.

"Well, yes. But I'm not _in_ love with him. We got divorced for a reason. And time has made it a lot better. Not perfect, but better. I will always care about him and respect him, because he gave me the two best people in my life," Geena explained.

Abby smirked. "Gee, who could that be?" she joked.

Geena smile and pulled her daughter into a hug. "Now, let's finish those invitations for your big birthday party, okay?"

--

Jesse lay in bed that night, staring at his cell phone. He couldn't sleep, and he just wanted Miley to call. He thought about texting her, before realizing that it would be pretty hard for him with one hand. He sighed and decided to just go to sleep.


End file.
